Michaela Renee Johnson's Blog

Modern day publishing, we know, is constantly changing. I published my first “traditional” book, Teetering on Disaster in 2009, and my second, Me & Moe in 2012. Teetering became available as an ebook, only 3 short months of first release, at a time where the ebook had not taken hold. Me & Moe was released simultaneously in paperback, as in e-book. What I find most interesting is that to this day, I have seen more royalties from the sales of my paperback books.

The same cannot be said for my audio books… perhaps it’s the incredibly effective marketing campaign of Audible in general- or perhaps it’s the alluring incentives they offer for new members. But as an author, I can honestly say, I’m most excited to see my books go "audible.” This is mostly because in only four short weeks of having my traditional books go audio, I’ve seen a measurable boost in sales (and royalties) that I did not see when each of my books went “e.”

The explosion of smart-phones and audio capable e-readers has opened a distinct opportunity to embrace a new market. Right now, there is a new world of “readers,” who never considered buying a paperback, an ebook or even a book on CD, but who are more than willing to engage in audio books now that they are available in other formats – most notably, MP3.

These are people who spend a lot of time in in cars (in traffic or long road trips), traveling (train, plane, ferry) who are beginning to dabble in the world of audio books thanks to small, compact audio capable technology that doesn’t require wi-fi. They are multi-generational, and split between gender.
Audio takes us into a world more comparable to the movies, where we can hear the dialect, the intonation. So, even me, a traditional "reader," has come to thoroughly enjoy audio books, for the new world that they introduce us to- a space where we still get to create the visualization that we enjoy from reading. It’s a space that allows us to close our eyes and hear the story unfold.

It took me years to switch to an e-reader, and there are times, even now, two Kindle’s later, where I feel compelled to pick up a paperback, to touch it, to hold it, to snuggle in with the pages, but audio is a whole different game. Audio incorporates other senses, something an ebook didn’t do – ebooks created convenience, audio books create a different experience.

As an avid reader and as an author/publisher I have learned the hard way that no two audio books are created equal. I have learned how important narration is. When I first considered Me & Moe for audio, I thought it was the perfect story, and actually doubted that any narrator could “mess it up.”
But I was wrong, while the story itself lent itself to becoming a very exciting audio book; the narration is bland, boring, without creativity and lacking in passion. So while the story is still solid and worth listening to- it’s lost something in “translation.” Leaving myself, the author, to learn that it is possible, to take a very creative and exciting book, and make it exhausting and tiring, simply by the narration.

The Audio Publishers Association says, "The audiobook industry has changed dramatically over the decades, but this has not: The best audiobook narrators are also thoughtful readers, so bringing a love and understanding of the nuance of language and literature is a key component of achieving excellence in the craft."

I was far more cautious with the release of the Teetering on Disaster in audio format, and having listened to it, really feel as though I’m living it (again). I’m excited to see the direction of audio books in general, and am taking the lessons I’ve learned about narration and intonation into consideration for my next publish.

But for now – if you are interested, I’m giving away 20 copies of each audio book on my website. Have a listen and see for yourself. http://michaelarenee.com/books.html